Research has proven that incorporating arts-based learning in STEM education works. Students comprehend and retain information more easily when given the opportunity to learn through interactive, hands-on activities. The following resources provide facts, which demonstrate the need for the arts in early education and how the incorporation of the arts will improve the academic achievement of San Antonio students.

We were very pleased to see the Wolf Trap Institute included as a case example on page 19-20 of the guidance for Title IV, under allowable uses of funds for Activities to Support Well-Rounded Educational Opportunities. This is a very significant piece of recognition by the Department of Education, and speaks volumes to the reputation and impact of Wolf Trap programs.Non-Regulatory Guidance Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants

SA2020 | SA2020’s vision for improved education: “By 2020, San Antonio has orchestrated one of the greatest turnarounds in education in the United States.”

San Antonio ranks near the bottom in national brainpower study | A new Business Journals study ranks San Antonio No. 90 among 102 of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas in terms of collective brainpower. According to the report, 43 percent of schools in the greater San Antonio area were given a letter grade of either “D” or “F.” The full report can be found here.

Report: S.A. schools losing ground | 2014 article By Maria Luisa Cesar and Francisco Vara-Orta regarding the release of Children at Risk’s 2014 report, which ranked school districts using test scores, graduation rates and their ability to serve economically disadvantaged children, among other factors.

40+ Resources on Arts Integration All points of arts integration -- from benefits and implementation to linking the arts with core curriculum -- are covered in this roundup of useful Edutopia blog posts, articles, and videos.

Reinvesting in Arts Education | 2011 study by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. According to the report, “the arts significantly boost student achievement, reduce discipline problems and increase the odds that students will go on to graduate from college. It demonstrates that arts education can play an important role in narrowing the achievement gap between minorities and whites.”

Champions of Change: The Impact of Arts on Learning | 1999 Report by the MacArthur Foundation which “identifies how involvement with the arts provides unparalleled opportunities for learning that enables young people to reach for and attain higher levels of achievement.”

Using Music to Close the Academic Gap | 2013 article by Lori Miller Kase on a number of new studies which show the cognitive advantages of learning to play musical instruments at an early age.